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Meet the Failcrew – Weston Abney

No. No no no no no, you can’t make me follow Tessa. Did you see that thing she wrote? That was amazing! The pinnacle of self-talking-ness! There’s no good way to follow th- we’re live?

…

Hello, ladies.

What is your role in Made of Fail Productions?

I am a Deconstructor of Moya, filling the role of “guy who loves the series to death and is totally looking forward to this week’s review because it’s going to be nuts.” (“John Quixote“, guys. It’s this season’s acid trip.) I am the emergency backup guy, kept in a spare closet for those times when a man is required for a difficult, dangerous, or slightly humbling task. I’ve done some camera work for the show. The director for that piece was fantastic, very specific in what he’s looking for, would definitely work with him again. And I’ve been brought in a couple of times as a resident expert on the World of Warcraft. By “expert” I mean “I play the game a lot”, and by “resident” I mean “where did Sunday go?”

I am also the wielder of the Beard of Destiny. It is a heavy burden, but one that I carry with pride.What fascinates you the most about your fandoms, or fandom as a whole?

It is entirely possible to enjoy a show, or music, or comics, or anything else just for what it is. Someone produced this amazing (or terrible) thing and it stands entirely on its own, enjoyed by a single person. But sharing that, the feelings and reactions and quoting lines at other people and having lines quoted back, these are truly wonderful. The level of enthusiasm among true believers, the passion necessary to craft full cosplay outfits and wear them in public where there are people is just astonishing.

I also love how other people catch details that I don’t, or interpret an event in a different way. Each can lead to a more complex understanding of the original material, the interactions that make the characters who they are or why they act the way they do. People have unique perspectives, and each acts as a filter through which source material becomes something slightly different. It’s so cool.

What is your proudest accomplishment or achievement?

Single proudest has to be finishing my bachelor’s degree. That thing was a pain. I got hooked on Disgaea late in year three and it nearly killed me, but I did eventually graduate with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Military Science. A very close second would have to be my Eagle Scout badge. It carries a lot of moral weight, and represents all the experience that I accumulated over a decade in the Boy Scouts. And a very close third (seriously, I rolled a d6/2 to get the order on these) would be acquiring my Nonprofessional Permit to Carry Weapons. Different sort of moral weight, there. And a different sort of fandom. A very old, very established, very different fandom. Very fascinating to compare it to the internet variety.

What do you do when you’re not online?

Ugh. Not online? My city has fantastic public library with a well-stocked SciFi/Fantasy section, so I spend a lot of time there. A well stocked Manga section too, and I’ve been working my way through Hellsing. (Related note; who puts Berserk and Gantz on the bottom shelf? Alphabetical sorting, sure, but they look like comics and kids are a lot closer to the floor than adults.)

Most of the time I’m not online is spent at work. Stupid bills, always needing to be paid. The bright side, though, is that I make a fantastic pizza.

I also clean out my guns once a month. Y’know those lint balls at the bottom of your pockets? Same thing, only more nooks and crannies. Can’t imagine how it gets in there.

What is your dream job?

I have this peculiar and irrational desire to become President. Not because I want all the responsibility or hate that goes with the job, but because someone has to. I’d prefer it was someone with good morals and a sense that political powers not specifically granted to a government are reserved, but they seem to be in short supply among politicians. Seriously, it’s like you can elect a good person, give them a taste of all the non-governmental influence they gain with a position, and BAM you get (insert disliked politician here).

Do I think I could do a better job? Eh. Possibly bordering on unlikely. But I wouldn’t have to trust implicitly untrustworthy people to do it.

What is your greatest pet peeve?

Hypocrites. Being a hypocrite myself, I understand how hypocritical that is, but it’s irritating.

Close behind that on the list are people who abuse the English language (it’s already a mishmash of multiple Germanic and Latin languages, do we really have to make it worse?), customers who stay in a restaurant past closing time (sure, I’m getting paid, but I would like some sleep tonight), foolish drivers (the red octagon does not mean “slow down before rolling through”), networks that cancel good shows after putting them in terrible time slots that they shuffle around without warning (looking at you, NBC), and people who talk at the theater (although yes, I am going to the special hell, note the hypocrisy thing above).

4 thoughts on “Meet the Failcrew – Weston Abney”

Not always. Never in Illinois. They frown heavily on firearms. Carry, ownership, anything gun related is downright forbidden unless you’re a resident, and even then you have some serious hurdling to do.

Short version, if there’s a listener meet-up in Chicago, mess with me all you like.